Comparative

First paragraph - introduction

In my comparative study of Sive by John Bernard Keane, Colder than here by Laura Wade and Knives out directed by Rian Johnson, it is evident that each individual character is shaped by the world and environment they’re are habituated to. My understanding of cultural context is standard to the three contrasting yet similar worlds in which each of the three texts is set and the beliefs, rituals and traditions that the character portray throughout their scenes.

Second paragraph - religion ( Sive )

Religion is a heightened topic in Sive, playing a prominent role in the narrative and throughout. In the play Sive, the Roman Catholic church played an influencing role in Ireland during the 1950’s. The influence of the Roman Catholic Church is displayed widely through the references to god and the actions made around religion. During the opening of the play, Sive and her grandmother, Nanna Glavin are having a conversation about Sive’s mother after Mena commented on her being no good, Nanna’s response referenced the Lord; “the Lord mercy on her,” Nanna expressed her longing and safety for her dead daughter through the word of the Lord. Thomasheen arrives at the Glavin household to exclaim his match-making idea for Sive “ God help us”. God tends to be mentioned during majority of the conversations between the characters which makes the readers believe the religious beliefs that are praised have shaped the characters. It is clear they believe in the afterlife as Mike was adamant on Sive being buried on holy ground “she must be buried in holy ground”. However, the characters being shaped by religion and god they also fear the devil “

Devil take the tobacco they’re making these days”, Nanna exclaimed how the headlights on the doctor’s car made her ponder whether it was the devil. Nanna once again mentions the devil but now towards Mena; “you’d sell your soul to the devil”. Religion played a prominent role in education, yet another example of how the religious world shaped the characters living in it; “we had a cookery class at the convent today” Sive was explaining her day at school which happened to be in the convent. Unfortunately because of how big religion played a role in society, Sive was often threatened with the nuns from the convent, especially from Mena; “ I’m sure the nuns would like to hear of your conduct”. Religion was in control of everything in Ireland in the1950s. It also controlled the judgement of others and the decisions of many characters. The Roman Catholic Church shed negativity towards a child being born outside of wedlock as it was considered to be a sin. Sive faced much negativity due to the fact she was illegitimate; “What is she but a schoolgirl… and illegitimate”. Marriage was deemed impossible for Sive from the start because according to Mena and the church illegitimately is considered disgraceful. Despite religion supposing its forgiveness, the church drew the line when the cause of death was suicide as suicide is a greater sin than being born outside of wedlock, it is a cruel, life altering sin that was seen as not forgivable. Lastly religion is also used t expose the hypocrisy between religion and he character. While many of the characters such as Mike, Mena, Seán Dóta and Thomasheen Seán Rua highlight there devotion to the Catholic Church and their beliefs to god they also shed light to their selfishness and cruel behaviour. The common example being trying to marry young Sive off against her will for their own financial gain.

Third paragraph - religion ( CTH and KO )

In comparison to Sive, both Colder than here and Knives out are arguably not shaped by the religious world. In colder than here, it is shown that the Bradleys are a family with no particular interest or belief in religion. A sum of their phrases mention god, however unlike in Sive, god is mention in a casual fashion not in a remote devotion to religion; “Oh for God’s sake”; “Blood hell” unlike Sive, both of the phrases are just said in causality and has no underline connection to religion. Colder than here reflects the modern world in which we live in today. In contrast to Sive, death has become less traditional in religion and more individualised towards the person. The characters in colder than here are shaped by the modern and more woke world they are living in. Many view god as someone they can talk about grief, worry, and general life problems without feeling judgement. Throughout colder than here, the lack of religious comfort highlights how alone and uncertain characters feel at times. Many feel that if Alec, Harriet and Jenna had some sort of religious belief and comfort, it would help them in accepting and coming to terms with Myra’s terminal cancer diagnosis and impending death. However the Bradley family are not slightly religious and find no comfort in reuniting with Myra in the afterlife and they don’t believe in it. The traditional funeral and Christian ceremony had been an abandoned idea by Myra as she was in favour of an eco friendly funeral; “ the caption ‘cardboard coffin’ appears”. Myra wanted to be buried in an environmentally friendly coffin, however her husband, Alec, strongly disagrees as he thinks it seems cheap and feels his wife Myra deserves better than cardboard; “we’re not. We’re not burying you in a cardboard box”. Myra does not agree with the traditional religious funeral as she was never considered a religious person and would rather plan her own individualised funeral that would represent her life. Similarly to Colder than here, religion is virtually non-existent in the film. Once again, all of the references mentioning god, religion or any belief in the church is delivered in a colloquial manner; “no. Jesus. We did not get into it”. During the interview between Walter and the detective, Walter used Jesus as way a way of expressing his confrontation with his late late father in law was not as serious as his brother in law, Richard was making it out to be. “Hell, Ransom had an argument with him” Walter once again uses religious terminology to exclaim the non severity of the situation. The Thrombey’s are so clearly shaped by the world and environment they live and grew up in. While we are aware Harlan is buried, we are not made privy to whether the ceremony was religious or simply humanist. Colder than here and Knives out are unbelievably comparable to one another in respect of non religious worlds or backgrounds but contrast completely with Sive’s religous based world and values.

Fourth paragraph - education ( Sive )

Education is a common theme in three texts, arguably more so in Sive and knives out than in colder than here. In Sive it is evident that some characters in the text are very well equation in comparison to others. For example the doctor, the priest, the nuns and the schoolmaster are showcased as more knowledgeable than others, which each having a third level education. Sive is following a similar path to those more knowledgeable than herself, and his determined to finish her schooling in hopes to becoming successful; “her head is bent over a book from which she is memorising sotto voce”. Sive recognises her own academic ability and is hopeful that her education will be her pathway to freedom. She would like to think having ad education will allow her to live independently and escape the traditional routes of housewife and working on a farm at home. However, unlike Sive, not all characters were blessed with the opportunity to be educated which lead to great jealousy of Sive from others. A prime example is Mena. Mena received little education and has to work on a farm as a result of this, Mena is envious of Sive; “ your uncle and I work ourselves to the marrow of the bones to give you schooling”. In addition to this, Thomasheen seán Rua admits that he is illiterate due to leaving school early and not fulfilling his education; “I had no time for schoolin’ when I was a boy.”. This sheds a light to the fact that education was not only a privilege, but more so often for women. Being educated was undeniably valuable and empowering but ultimately ignored by societal norms. Education was seen as a luxury rather than a necessity.

Fifth paragraph - education ( knives out )

Correspondingly, many of the characters in Knives out are undeniably intelligent and it is clear they are shaped by the educational standards in their world. Harlan is an extremely successful and wealthy crime novelist; “ Harlan started out with a rusty smith corona and built himself into one of the best selling mystery writers of all time” Richard Drysdale exclaims how Harlan established himself from humble beginnings and how it was partly possible that education played a massive role in Harlan’s career. Not only was Harlan successful from his career, he was equally as wealthy; “ Grandad gives my mom a yearly allowance and he’s never missed wiring a tuition payment to my schools” Megan highlights the fact that Harlan, her grandfather, was wealthy enough to pay for her education. In addition to her grandfather paying for education, Megan also reveals that she attends third level education; “ To see some friends at Smith”. In the world of Knives out, it is clear that education is considered to be ordinary in comparison to Sive where it was a luxury, especially for women. Walt, the son of Harlan, helped to run his father’s publishing company proving his intelligence through his strong work ethic; “so, you run your father’s publishing company?” It is highlighted that Harlan clearly trusted Walt to run the company as he had sufficient knowledge in the industry. Walt what strategic when using his education and knowledge towards Harlan’s publishing company; “The Netflix guys, their business affair guy… he sent something over. It’s hard numbers this time and I just think this is a window that’s not gonna stay open” Walt acknowledged his strengths in the business and had familiarity with where the ‘big money’ was, ultimately proving the world of knives out held educational standards unlike both Sive and Colder than here. Similar to the rest of the family, Linda is a self-made business woman; “as a self-made man myself, I have to express my admiration for how you followed in your father’s footsteps” It is evident Linda is well educated as she quite literally admits to owning the company her husband, Richard, works for; “it’s…it’s my company”. Alongside Linda, Joni also has her own company; “flam”. Joni expresses thoroughly her knowledge for skincare and how her brand “ promotes a total lifestyle”. Contrasting Linda and Joni, Marta is a qualified nurse and was privately employed by Harlan; “Harlan hired her to be around to take care of whatever medical needs popped up.” This once again showing that there is no lack in education in the world of knives out. Lastly, Benoit is a highly skilled detective, with significant experience in his line of work; “Mr Blanc is a private investigator of great renown”. It cannot be denied that great emphasis was placed on education in society. Education in the world of knives out was seen as a way to better oneself and open doors moving forward.

Colder than here is slightly at variance with Sive and Knives out. In the world of colder than here, it is evident that education plays quite a minor role. When studied alongside the Sive and Knives out, it is very difficult to find any strong correlations with Colder than here. School was brought up a limited amount of times throughout the play. During a conversation between Jenna and Myra, Myra reveals that one of the only things Jenna learned from school was how to smoke; “you learned to smoke in a graveyard, didn’t you?” This highlights that a second level education was received by Jenna. Harriet references her historical education; “Crimean” once again proving that Harriet too received second level education. Although education is glossed over in the world of Colder than here, it still has shaped the characters. Furthermore, Alec is a chartered surveyor which strongly indicates that he must of attended college or university; “Marry a chartered surveyor, they said.”. In addition to Alec attending college or university, Jenna’s boyfriend, Mark expressed his desire to return to education; “[he] wants to quit work and do a university course”. It is abundantly clear that while eduction is present, it is understates and simply represents a contemporary upbringing. As a result, it is apparent that education played a relatively important and central role in majority of the characters in Sive and Knives out, whereas it is not as impactful for the characters in Colder than here. It is merely superficial.

Sixth paragraph - money ( sive )

Money plays a pivotal role in two out of three texts. In both Sive and Knives out, key characters make questionable decisions due to their lust for money. Greed is the driving force behind this tragic play. Throughout the play, many of the prominent characters are seen to be avaricious, namely Mena. Mena made many undesirable decisions to gain a considerable amount of money. Her lethal desire for money was shown when Thomasheen Seán Rua told her she would get money if she had Sive marry Sean Dóta; “he will give me money!” She immediately wanted to marry Sive off to Sean Dóta, an old man, for her personal gain of 200 pounds; “200… she’ll scorn him”. However, this was not the first time that Mena made an important decision influenced by money, she married Mike as she was hooked by relative wealth; “‘twas a sore day to me my son took you for a wife”. Money was paramount for Mena because she grew up impoverished; “we all know what you could do girl and the stock you came from.. and the cabin you came out of! Where ye used to drink yeer tay out of jam pots”. Similar to Mena, Mike was also money hungry. Mike was momentarily swayed by the 200 pounds being offered for his nieces hand in marriage; “I know! I know! The money is a great temptation but there is wrong in it from head to heal”. However, this was rather commonplace at the time. Thomasheen Seán Rua is another prime example of a character whos actions were influenced by money. Thomasheen Seán rua wanted Sive to get married so he could get a cut of money; “there will be 100 for me”. Due to the impoverished conditions majority of the characters found themselves in, money seemed essential to survive and a result, these people felt that its acquisition was worth sacrificing their moral values. The world of Sive truly shaped the characters morally and highlighted that, for many, marriage was nothing more than a business transaction. Nevertheless, Sive, in contrast, has little to no interest in money nor its value. Sive and her boyfriend, Liam, wanted to marry for love; “it’s horrible, Liam. Would you marry somebody you never saw before”. Similarity to Sive, Liam also wishes to marry for love over lust for money; “I would marry nobody but you, Sive, I love you”. Ultimately, the pursuit of money lead to the death of Sive. The world of Sive shaped each character differently, many lusted for money, while others wanted love.

The world of Knives out is akin to Sive insofar as money also hates motivation, conflict and behaviours in the film. The entire mystery revolves around Harlan’s will and fortune. After the death of Harlan, various family members expected to receive their share of wealth. During the will reading, the family members come to find out they will in fact get no share of Harlan’s wealth; “I, Harlan Thrombey; direct that all my assets, both liquid and otherwise, I leave in their entirety to Marta Cabrera.”. This stunt caused uproar within the family, as they all verbally attacked Marta Cabrera and went as far to accuse her of sleeping with Harlan, showing their true colours for money; “oh, you little bitch. You little bitch. Were you in this from the beginning?; Were you boinking my father?”. The will reading triggered huge levels of resentment and deception, ultimately becoming the motive for different murder attempts. A prime example would be when Hugh ‘Ransom” learns that he is being cut out of his grandfather’s will, he decides he wants immediate revenge, elaborately planning Harlan’s demise. Here, we have another dubious decision because of money, making Mena and Hugh ‘Ransom’ remarkably alike. The Thrombeys, their spouses and their children openly argue over who ‘deserves’ the inheritance money, with many revealing their entitled attitudes in the process highlighting that the world of knives out and Sive are both deceived by greed proving their true moral compasses. However, they all had been profiting from Harlan long before his passing. In what could be argued as nepotism, Harlan had given Walt a very decent job in his publishing company; “ it’s the family’s publishing company. Dad trusts me to run it.”. Harlan had also heavily invested in both Linda and Joni’s respective companies, even if they were reluctant to admit it; “yeah, my mother built her business from the ground up with a million-dollar loan from my grandfather.”. In addition to this, Harlan payed for Meg’s tuition fees, wth Joni even taking advantage of this generosity for four years; “you have been double-dipping Meg’s tuition and stealing from me.”. Sadly, all of this highlighted how money has the power to distort relationships snd increase dependency. In stark contrast to these characters was Marta. Marta’s reaction at the will reading proved she was in no way financially motivated and was, in fact, uncomfortable with the outcome; “I had no idea why he-I just need to think.”. And this is where it becomes easy to draw correlations between Marta and Sive as they were both very principled individuals, relatively uninterested in money.

Contrasting both Sive and Knives out, Money, in the world of Colder than here played a significantly less viable role. Money is deemed as a practical concern as opposed to an obsession. Myra’s funeral planning included awareness of how much different burial options would cost and the more efficient options she could choose; “does a more expensive one look less like a cardboard box?”. While money influences decisions, it is far more calm and controlled than in Sive and Knives out. The family appears financially stable, with no real suggestion of poverty. While money is naturally something that the family need to consider and be conscious of, it is clearly not the most important thing. For the most part, the characters are far more worried about coping than cost. Unlike in Sive and Knives out, money does not create tension or cause moral collapse in Colder than here.